BT doesn’t want the burden of building landlines anymore
BT has asked Ofcom to relax requirements imposed on its Openreach network arm to provide traditional telephone services, with the expectation VoIP systems “will be used nationwide by 2025.” Currently, Openreach is mandated by Ofcom to build and maintain equipment that provides fixed-line phone service at its exchanges, a regulation BT sees as outdated. According to BT, rules have “not kept up with the massive growth in competition and rapid pace of technology change over the last decade,” and relaxing them “would improve efficiency, stimulate competition, and encourage investment.” As BT’s CEO Gavin Patterson said in May, “replacing legacy networks and platforms” will allow the company to cut costs and focus on internet services.
That’s not to say BT will back out of providing traditional phone services, but with looser regulation it would be able to focus on more future-proof infrastructure. The current rules, the company says, don’t reflect the growth in “over-the-top” communication players like WhatsApp, Skype, FaceTime et al, which have no infrastructure-related outgoings. BT has also compared phone lines to legacy versions of Windows. While Microsoft supports old builds for a certain period of time, there comes a point when it makes sense to move investment away from maintaining those, and use it to develop new versions that are better and more feature-rich. BT wants that freedom, too.
The dialogue between BT and Ofcom comes at a time when the communications regulator is reassessing its stance on Openreach. Back in 2006, Ofcom forced BT to create its Openreach subsidiary to manage the network side of its business, so that rival phone and internet providers would have fairer access to its copper and fibre infrastructure. The move was designed to enhance competition, but BT rivals Sky and TalkTalk are now calling for Openreach to become a separate company entirely. They claim it would allow Openreach to focus on providing the best-quality network, and “is at the heart of creating a sustainable industry.” With BT acquiring EE, it’s also argued that breaking off Openreach is essential to making sure BT doesn’t become too influential a force in UK telecomms.
When Openreach was established, Ofcom required that its systems and data be kept physically separate from BT. However, BT is also calling for this regulation to be scrapped. Since it can create virtual, secure silos within its own data centres, BT says that by moving the systems in-house, it can cut costs further and repurpose that money elsewhere. For now, though, all BT and its rivals can do is push their individual agendas. Ofcom will make its own comments and initial recommendations next month, at which point we’ll know who’s done the best job of lobbying so far.
[Image credit: PhotoAtelier/Flickr]
Filed under: Wireless, Networking, Internet
Via: The Register, The Telegraph
SpaceX recounts past mistakes before next barge test landing
Everyone at SpaceX must be crossing their fingers right now, as the company prepares for another barge landing attempt on Sunday, June 28th. While CEO Elon Musk said the original droneship was fine after an earlier effort ended up in flames, this Sunday’s trial will use a new one named “Of Course I Still Love You,” also taken from an Iain M. Banks sci-fi novel like its predecessor’s. In an effort to ensure the upcoming venture’s success, the company took a long, hard look at its previous mistakes. The company has just published a post on its website not only explaining how its Falcon 9 rockets were designed to be able to fly back home from the get-go, but also revisiting its failed barge landings in January and in April.
If you recall, the January trial ended up in a fiery explosion, because the grid fins steering the rocket’s first stage onto the platform ran out of hydraulic fluid before touching down. The rocket and the droneship also blew up in April, as we said earlier, but that one came much closer to being successful. Apparently, one of the valves controlling Falcon 9’s thrust stopped responding around 10 seconds before landing, and when maneuvering something weighing 67,000 pounds, even just a few seconds are crucial. As a result, the team wasn’t able to slow the rocket down — it landed hard, tilted and fell. You can see it happen clearly in this video that SpaceX recently uploaded:
The team has filled the grid fins with enough hydraulic fuel and made sure that the valve malfunction won’t happen again for this upcoming attempt. If the flight isn’t scrubbed due to bad weather or unforeseen circumstances, you can watch it live around 10:21AM Eastern time. Since the launch is for an ISS resupply mission — a Dragon capsule will make its way to the space station with 4,000 pounds of food, water, tools, et cetera — NASA will also host a livestream starting at 9AM Eastern.
[Image credit: SpaceX/Flickr]
Filed under: Science
Source: SpaceX
ICYMI: Amazon’s Treasure Truck, mood-altering wearables and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: Strap a neurosignaling device onto your forehead and control your mood from an app ; Amazon delivers deals on wheels via a new ‘Treasure Truck;’ and a new Super Mario World record has been set by a speedrunner who did it all blindfolded.
But we need your help! Let the team at Engadget know about any interesting stories or videos you stumble across by using the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd. We will be ever so thankful!
Filed under: Displays, Misc, Gaming, Transportation, Wearables, Science, Internet, Amazon, Nintendo
Samsung breakthrough almost doubles lithium battery capacity
Researchers at Samsung Electronics announced yesterday that they have developed a new technology to produce a silicon cathode material that coats Graphene onto a silicon surface for higher energy density. In other words, Samsung has found a way to almost double the capacity of lithium batteries, which are used to power smartphones and various other gadgets.
As I’m sure you’re aware, smartphone battery capacity has increased slightly over the last decade, but the technology remains limited by the physical size of gadgets and the limitations of the actual materials inside the battery. As we can’t make batteries any bigger, increases in raw capacity are needed, and researchers have been looking to new materials to find the solution.
This is where Samsung’s research comes in. The company has come up with a new coating method for battery cathodes, which overcomes the cycling performance and capacity limitations imposed by current implementations. The new process makes use of that excellent conductive material known as Graphene, which is grown directly onto the silicon coating surface without silicon carbide formation. If this sounds familiar, other groups in the US have been attempting similar ideas.
Samsung’s researchers claim that its technique allows the full cell to reach volumetric energy densities of 972 and 700 Wh l−1 at first and 200th cycle respectively, when paired with a commercial lithium cobalt oxide cathode. This is around 1.8 and 1.5 times greater than commercialized lithium ion batteries, meaning more battery capacity for a given area. Typically, these type of designs reduce the battery’s life span due to more charge and discharge cycles, but this time the researchers also claim good cycling performance, due to its multi-layer design.
Samsung expects that its breakthrough will have important implications for both mobile devices and the electric car industry, with both really need attentional battery capacity. However, like most new ideas, industry observers expect that the technology is at least two or three years away from commercialization.
Cheero Power Plus 3 review
Earlier, we reviewed Cheero’s Ingress Power Cube portable battery. It was a unique accessory as far as design goes, but Cheero also offers something much more practical: the Cheero Power Plus 3. Not only is it smaller and more compact, but it features a larger battery.
Is it much better than the Ingress Power Cube, though? In a way, yes.
Design
As far as design goes, the Cheero Power Plus 3 isn’t nearly as flashy as the Ingress Power Cube, but it’s an all-around more practical and plain device. It’s more compact, smaller, and easier to carry in the pocket, if you so need. The battery is quite large in capacity, and so you’d imagine my bewilderment when finding out just how light this portable battery is.
The Ingress Power Cube looked more like a brick, thus the name. But the Power Plus 3 is more appealing to the eye in that it’s more rounded, plain, and there’s not much going on as far as flashy lights go. The only lights on this device is a series of four radio-like buttons that light up indicating how much charge is left in the battery.
On the top of the device, you have a power button, which shows energy levels and begins the charge cycle for whatever device its connected to. To the right, there are two 5-volt USB ports–a 2.4amp and a 1amp solution. You also have your standard micro-USB port nested in-between the two for charging the portable battery.
Portability
Next to battery, the biggest thing the Power Plus 3 offers is its unmatched portability. There’s a massive 13,400mAh battery packed inside it, but it still remains small and compact, making it easy to use on the go. If you do a lot of travelling, having something small like the Power Plus 3 that doesn’t take up a whole lot of space is great to have on hand.
It’s a hefty, well-built, durable device. The build quality of the Power Plus 3 is impressive–you really cannot go wrong with it. All in all, if you’re looking for portability, the Power Plus 3 is an excellent solution.
Battery
The Power Plus 3 is equipped with a massive 13,400mAh battery. It’s surprising to see such a large battery in such a small compartment, but it doesn’t miss a beat. Some portable battery’s will overheat and shut themselves off, but thus far, there’s been no noticeable trace of that in the Power Plus 3.
I’ve put this battery through various stress tests. I started out charging a dead iPhone 6 and a dead Moto X (1st Gen) simultaneously, and I had no problems. Obviously the 2.4amp port was significantly faster than the 1amp port, but if you’re consistently using the 2.4amp port, you can expect a device to go from dead to full in a little over an hour. Of course, that figure varies, as it’s sometimes faster depending on the device you own.
It does take a significant amount of time to fill up the massive 13,400mAh battery. The time it takes seems to vary, in one test it took 6hrs, in another test I left it charging overnight, and it was still trying to reach full capacity.
Conclusion
I’m quite impressed with Cheero’s Power Plus 3. Not only does it cost less than the Ingress Power Cube, but it’s also a much more quality product. Coming in at $35.99 on Amazon, it’s certainly not a bad price to pay for this small performer. In fact, if you’re on the go a lot or have a lot of devices to charge, the Power Plus 3 will suit you well.
As I mentioned earlier, while the battery is significantly large, the Power Plus 3 is surprisingly lightweight, compact, and easy to travel with. It’s not going to take up much space in a briefcase or travel bag. In the end, it’s a practical portable battery that you’ll discover you can’t go without.
Come comment on this article: Cheero Power Plus 3 review
YouTube still has a way to go before its ad-free tier launches
YouTube might have Music Key in its hat (sort of), but apparently it’s having issues locking down deals for the proposed ad-free subscription service that’d cover the rest of its media. Google’s video wing is having troubles getting content creators onboard with the service, according to The Information. As the site’s sources tell it, YouTube has even threatened to set certain channels to private so the videos therein won’t show up in searches. That’s if the creators don’t play ball, of course. YouTube tried strong-arming indie musicians in a similar way last year. The Information notes that where the biggest difficulties might lie would be with TV networks that have a presence on the video portal because plenty of them are already married to the likes of Hulu for subscription content. All in all, if you were holding out for ad-free YouTube — at a nominal fee — you’re going to be waiting a bit longer.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google
Source: The Information
Huawei is looking for Honor 6 Android 5.1 beta testers
Huawei is looking for 100 participants to soak test the company’s upcoming Android 5.1 Lollipop update for its Honor 6 smartphone. Although to be in with a chance to enter the beta, you will have to be a member of its Honor Club.
Fortunately membership is free, all you need is your name and email address. Once registered, Huawei wants you to send them a written email application with a short statement explaining why you should be in the test group. Here’s Huawei’s explanation on how to sign up:
“send us an email with the subject ”Beta Test Honor 6″, your IMEI number and a short statement why you are the appropriate person for the test to myhonor@hihonor.com.”
If you are wondering how to find your IMEI number, type ‘*#06#’ into your dialler.
Entry is open to Huawei customers living in France, Germany and the UK. The applications deadline is June 30th, leaving just a few days for you to craft your finely worded email. The first 100 applicants to wow Huawei will be notified of their success sometime next week.
We’re not exactly sure what to expect with the Lollipop update for the Honor 6, other than the usual upgrades. But we do know that the update will also include a latest version of Huawei’s EMUI 3.1. The final version of Huawei’s Lollipop for the Honor 6 is expected to rollout across Europe sometime over the summer.
The unlocked Moto X (2014) is now getting Android 5.1
Following the release of Android 5.1 to some versions of the original Moto X, Motorola is now pushing out the 5.1 OTA to the Moto X (2014) Pure Edition (unlocked model)
According to the Android 5.1 release support page on Motorola’s website, the update is bringing the obligatory bug fixes and speed improvements, but also some more material changes to the way users controls heads-up notifications and alarms.
Users can now swipe up a notification to dismiss it from the screen, but keep it in the notification dropdown for later checking. The new firmware also allows users to mute notifications until the next alarm, enter scheduled downtime early, and control media volume from the volume controls.
The Quick Settings improvements that let you connect to WiFi or Bluetooth with one tap are also present in this build. The update also sees the addition of the major security feature introduced by Google in Android 5.1: devices stay locked even after being factory reset and they can only be unlocked using the Google account password. That means people who find or steal devices won’t be able to simply factory reset them and go on their way, as long as the devices are locked with a password, PIN, or pattern.
You can now use a double chop motion to unlock your device, and Ambient Display has been tweaked to reduce the number of accidental interactions. A complete changelog can be perused here.
The update is around 440MB in size and is now rolling out to all Pure Edition Moto X (2014) units. “Pure Edition” in Motorola’s parlance means “factory unlocked” – the device was launched on September 12, 2014, bringing Motorola’s well optimized software and zero carrier additions.
No Lollipop for the Galaxy Ace 4, says Samsung UK
Samsung has been doing a rather good job at promptly updating its flagship smartphones to Android Lollipop this year, but it looks like the same attention won’t be given to some of its entry level handsets. Responding to a request for information on Twitter, Samsung UK has stated that Lollipop won’t be heading to the Galaxy Ace 4.
@reubenupstone I’m afraid the Galaxy Ace 4 will not be getting the Lollipop update Reuben.
— Samsung UK (@SamsungUK) June 25, 2015
The Galaxy Ace 4 was announced last June and launched shortly after in two variants, one with just 512MB of RAM and another with 1GB and 4G LTE support. The lack of an update for a handset less than a year old is quite disappointing.
Earlier in the year Samsung cancelled a promised Android Lollipop update for Galaxy S4 Mini, citing memory limitations as the primary issue for failing its testing process. The S4 Mini features 1.5GB of RAM, while the Galaxy Ace 4 contains a smaller 1GB of RAM pool. Samsung has not given an official reason for the lack of an update for the Ace 4, but we can imagine that RAM limitations may be a factor.
While not updating lower-end models is a common practise across numerous manufacturers, it is perhaps a little more understandable if hardware limitations are preventing the company from providing a smooth enough experience.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news Galaxy Ace 4 owners.
Android 5.1 OTA is rolling out to the Moto X (2014) Pure Edition in the US
If you are the owner of a Moto X (2014) Pure Edition, you may want to check your phone to see if it has received the OTA notification for its Android 5.1 update. Motorola’s David Schuster announced that the update would be rolling out to Moto X (2014) Pure Edition handsets in the US.
The Android 5.1 OTA is around 440MB in size, and besides the improvements in performance and added features, the update also fixes some bugs. Something to keep an eye for is the Chop Twice feature that turns the flashlight on when you make a chopping gesture with the phone.Click the Motorola link below to access to the full change log of the update. Be sure to let us know if you find any bugs in the OTA.
Source: David Schuster (Google+); Motorola
Come comment on this article: Android 5.1 OTA is rolling out to the Moto X (2014) Pure Edition in the US
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